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Frankenstein: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting
Jane Eyre. Frankenstein. The Scarlet Letter. You’re familiar with these pillars of classic literature. You have seen plenty of Frankenstein costumes, watched the film adaptations, and may even be able to rattle off a few quotes, but do you really know how to read these books? Do you know anything about the authors who wrote them, and what the authors were trying to teach readers through their stories? Do you know how to read them as a Christian? Taking into account your old worldview, as well as that of the author?
In this beautiful cloth-over-board edition bestselling author, literature professor, and avid reader Karen Swallow Prior will guide you through Frankenstein . She will not only navigate you through the pitfalls that trap readers today, but show you how to read it in light of the gospel, and to the glory of God.
This edition includes a thorough introduction to the author, context, and overview of the work (without any spoilers for first-time readers), the full original text, as well as footnotes and reflection questions throughout to help the reader attain a fuller grasp of Frankenstein .
The full series currently Heart of Darkness, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, and Frankenstein. Make sure to keep an eye out for the next classics in the series.
In this beautiful cloth-over-board edition bestselling author, literature professor, and avid reader Karen Swallow Prior will guide you through Frankenstein . She will not only navigate you through the pitfalls that trap readers today, but show you how to read it in light of the gospel, and to the glory of God.
This edition includes a thorough introduction to the author, context, and overview of the work (without any spoilers for first-time readers), the full original text, as well as footnotes and reflection questions throughout to help the reader attain a fuller grasp of Frankenstein .
The full series currently Heart of Darkness, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, and Frankenstein. Make sure to keep an eye out for the next classics in the series.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published March 9, 2021
49 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
2,337 books8,476 followersMary Shelley (née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, often known as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley) was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, travel writer, and editor of the works of her husband, Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. She was the daughter of the political philosopher William Godwin and the writer, philosopher, and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.
Mary Shelley was taken seriously as a writer in her own lifetime, though reviewers often missed the political edge to her novels. After her death, however, she was chiefly remembered only as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley and as the author of Frankenstein. It was not until 1989, when Emily Sunstein published her prizewinning biography Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality, that a full-length scholarly biography analyzing all of Shelley's letters, journals, and works within their historical context was published.
The well-meaning attempts of Mary Shelley's son and daughter-in-law to "Victorianise" her memory through the censoring of letters and biographical material contributed to a perception of Mary Shelley as a more conventional, less reformist figure than her works suggest. Her own timid omissions from Percy Shelley's works and her quiet avoidance of public controversy in the later years of her life added to this impression.
The eclipse of Mary Shelley's reputation as a novelist and biographer meant that, until the last thirty years, most of her works remained out of print, obstructing a larger view of her achievement. She was seen as a one-novel author, if that. In recent decades, however, the republication of almost all her writings has stimulated a new recognition of its value. Her voracious reading habits and intensive study, revealed in her journals and letters and reflected in her works, is now better appreciated. Shelley's recognition of herself as an author has also been recognized; after Percy's death, she wrote about her authorial ambitions: "I think that I can maintain myself, and there is something inspiriting in the idea". Scholars now consider Mary Shelley to be a major Romantic figure, significant for her literary achievement and her political voice as a woman and a liberal.
Mary Shelley was taken seriously as a writer in her own lifetime, though reviewers often missed the political edge to her novels. After her death, however, she was chiefly remembered only as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley and as the author of Frankenstein. It was not until 1989, when Emily Sunstein published her prizewinning biography Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality, that a full-length scholarly biography analyzing all of Shelley's letters, journals, and works within their historical context was published.
The well-meaning attempts of Mary Shelley's son and daughter-in-law to "Victorianise" her memory through the censoring of letters and biographical material contributed to a perception of Mary Shelley as a more conventional, less reformist figure than her works suggest. Her own timid omissions from Percy Shelley's works and her quiet avoidance of public controversy in the later years of her life added to this impression.
The eclipse of Mary Shelley's reputation as a novelist and biographer meant that, until the last thirty years, most of her works remained out of print, obstructing a larger view of her achievement. She was seen as a one-novel author, if that. In recent decades, however, the republication of almost all her writings has stimulated a new recognition of its value. Her voracious reading habits and intensive study, revealed in her journals and letters and reflected in her works, is now better appreciated. Shelley's recognition of herself as an author has also been recognized; after Percy's death, she wrote about her authorial ambitions: "I think that I can maintain myself, and there is something inspiriting in the idea". Scholars now consider Mary Shelley to be a major Romantic figure, significant for her literary achievement and her political voice as a woman and a liberal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
October 26, 2025
Frankenstein has been my favorite classic since I first read it in the fall of 2018 right around the time my grandpa passed away. Shelley's commentary on grief stood out to me as I grieved the loss of a beloved grandparent.
In the text, Victor Frankenstein mourns the death of his mother, but in his grief then isolates himself from all else, becoming obsessed with creating life to solve the problem of death.
However, it wasn't until reading the forward in this edition by Karen Swallow Prior, that I understood just how deeply Mary Shelley understood the pain of death. Shelley wrote Frankenstein at 19, having already lost her first child, a baby girl, just a few weeks after giving birth.
Swallow writes,
Mary's life was haunted by death, and not just any kind of death, but death connected to the act of creation. Her mother died from complications giving birth to her. She saw all but one of her children die. And she almost died during her last pregnancy.
Shortly after the death of her first baby, Mary recorded in her journal a dream she had that would become the central idea of Frankenstein: "Dreamt that my little baby came to life again--that it had only been cold and that we rubbed it before the fire and it lived." Then, poignantly, she adds, "Awake, and find no baby. I think about the little thing all day. Not in good spirits."
Frankenstein was famously spawned following another nightmare Shelley had while retreating with friends. Having pictured vividly the "pale student...kneeling beside the thing he had put together...the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out...Frightful must it be." she immediately rose, struck by the thought that what terrified her would also terrify others, and penned the words,
It was on a dreary night of November...
It is no coincidence that, having grown up motherless, Shelley chooses to write about the creation of another who is solely without a mother. This only happens when Victor Frankenstein becomes motherless himself. Like the first Adam, the creature was formed by the hands of a god/father, yet unlike Adam, Frankenstein's creature remained alone and unloved resulting in horror and more death.
Indeed, the creature, having read Milton's Paradise Lost, condemns Frankenstein for denying him the very basic care that a creation is owed by it's creator. The story then unfolds with an ongoing chase in which both creature and creator suffer profoundly.
Though Shelley wrote the original text in 1818, Frankenstein remains extremely relevant today. It begs the questions, "just because we can, does it mean we should?" (something I wonder about AI being unleashed unchecked at the moment), and "who is the true monster?"
In addition to these themes around creation, grief, friendship, and death, Shelley manages to write an entertaining, engaging gothic horror fit for all ages.
Truly a masterpiece.
In the text, Victor Frankenstein mourns the death of his mother, but in his grief then isolates himself from all else, becoming obsessed with creating life to solve the problem of death.
However, it wasn't until reading the forward in this edition by Karen Swallow Prior, that I understood just how deeply Mary Shelley understood the pain of death. Shelley wrote Frankenstein at 19, having already lost her first child, a baby girl, just a few weeks after giving birth.
Swallow writes,
Mary's life was haunted by death, and not just any kind of death, but death connected to the act of creation. Her mother died from complications giving birth to her. She saw all but one of her children die. And she almost died during her last pregnancy.
Shortly after the death of her first baby, Mary recorded in her journal a dream she had that would become the central idea of Frankenstein: "Dreamt that my little baby came to life again--that it had only been cold and that we rubbed it before the fire and it lived." Then, poignantly, she adds, "Awake, and find no baby. I think about the little thing all day. Not in good spirits."
Frankenstein was famously spawned following another nightmare Shelley had while retreating with friends. Having pictured vividly the "pale student...kneeling beside the thing he had put together...the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out...Frightful must it be." she immediately rose, struck by the thought that what terrified her would also terrify others, and penned the words,
It was on a dreary night of November...
It is no coincidence that, having grown up motherless, Shelley chooses to write about the creation of another who is solely without a mother. This only happens when Victor Frankenstein becomes motherless himself. Like the first Adam, the creature was formed by the hands of a god/father, yet unlike Adam, Frankenstein's creature remained alone and unloved resulting in horror and more death.
Indeed, the creature, having read Milton's Paradise Lost, condemns Frankenstein for denying him the very basic care that a creation is owed by it's creator. The story then unfolds with an ongoing chase in which both creature and creator suffer profoundly.
Though Shelley wrote the original text in 1818, Frankenstein remains extremely relevant today. It begs the questions, "just because we can, does it mean we should?" (something I wonder about AI being unleashed unchecked at the moment), and "who is the true monster?"
In addition to these themes around creation, grief, friendship, and death, Shelley manages to write an entertaining, engaging gothic horror fit for all ages.
Truly a masterpiece.
November 6, 2021
When I read this book more than ten years ago, my perception of the book was completely tainted by my own immaturity as a reader. I found the whole thing "unbelievable" and "ridiculous." But, as usual, this classic was never on trial; I was. It was no deficiency in the book but only in my reading that led to my hasty conclusions.
I find the book so provocative and troubling this time around, with its ambiguous message about ambition, the clear implications about domestic life, and the complicated inner turmoil of its young protagonist (the student, NOT the creature.) Also, I was helped by two instructive podcasts and by Karen Swallow Prior's notes to see all that was at stake in this story.
This time, I was so impressed by Shelley's restraint. The central story, the one we all anticipate, is nested deeply inside the story within a story within a story. And she doesn't linger on the horror but makes us anticipate the encounter between creature and creator. She makes this book creepy and atmospheric, haunting Frankenstein with imagined fears and then terrifying him with real terrors, while also portraying the creature's regrets and frustrations. There is *plenty* to critique about the characters and a great deal to debate, which is what inspired me to pivot my lesson plans for British Literature so that I could teach this book. I still found the confessions and inner monologue to be overwrought, but I sense that the bold language will invite my students to have opinions. And a good English classroom runs on opinions.
I find the book so provocative and troubling this time around, with its ambiguous message about ambition, the clear implications about domestic life, and the complicated inner turmoil of its young protagonist (the student, NOT the creature.) Also, I was helped by two instructive podcasts and by Karen Swallow Prior's notes to see all that was at stake in this story.
This time, I was so impressed by Shelley's restraint. The central story, the one we all anticipate, is nested deeply inside the story within a story within a story. And she doesn't linger on the horror but makes us anticipate the encounter between creature and creator. She makes this book creepy and atmospheric, haunting Frankenstein with imagined fears and then terrifying him with real terrors, while also portraying the creature's regrets and frustrations. There is *plenty* to critique about the characters and a great deal to debate, which is what inspired me to pivot my lesson plans for British Literature so that I could teach this book. I still found the confessions and inner monologue to be overwrought, but I sense that the bold language will invite my students to have opinions. And a good English classroom runs on opinions.
March 13, 2024
This was my fouth or fifth reading of Frankenstein. It grows in beauty upon closer acquaintance. I find it fascinating for its framing devices, layered themes, and unique place in the Great Tradition. An epistolary Gothic novel that is a science fiction forerunner while claiming to be a retelling of a Greek myth which also reflects charactization and language from Milton's Paradise Lost, by an 18-year-old author with personal connections to Shelley, Byron, and Coleridge as well as her famous feminist mother, Mary Wollstencraft.
I enjoyed Karen Swallow Prior's introduction and annotations in this edition.
I enjoyed Karen Swallow Prior's introduction and annotations in this edition.
November 16, 2025
The popular (mis)perception of Frankenstein due to the many far-fetched and unfaithful film adaptations does such a disservice to this stunning work of literature. I am saddened by the amount of people I know who don’t care to pick this book up, assuming it’s a book full of horror, sexual perversion, and nightmare inducing episodes.
It’s nothing at all like that! A modern myth, it explores deep themes of the responsibility of creator to creation, healthy and unhealthy friendship, the need for confession, the ethics of scientific advances, attachment theory, and the root causes of virtue and vice amongst others. Disturbing scenes are mild and manageable - nothing like the screen portrays. The book starts slow but is hard to put down once the story picks up.
A preemptive read through of Mary Shelley’s life enhances the book tremendously.
It’s nothing at all like that! A modern myth, it explores deep themes of the responsibility of creator to creation, healthy and unhealthy friendship, the need for confession, the ethics of scientific advances, attachment theory, and the root causes of virtue and vice amongst others. Disturbing scenes are mild and manageable - nothing like the screen portrays. The book starts slow but is hard to put down once the story picks up.
A preemptive read through of Mary Shelley’s life enhances the book tremendously.
October 12, 2021
I liked this edition from Dr. Prior and looking forward to more in this series from B&H (I think I am going to shoot for Jane Eyre next). As someone who is starting to get more into fiction (and especially the classics), Dr. Prior's introductory remarks and questions helped me think through the novel as I went along.
Like most people I think, I did not really know what Frankenstein was about coming into it. It was totally different than what I thought and actually was an enjoyable read and has some valuable dialogue about virtue and relationships. I liked the dialogue in volume two and the end of volume 3 the best.
Like most people I think, I did not really know what Frankenstein was about coming into it. It was totally different than what I thought and actually was an enjoyable read and has some valuable dialogue about virtue and relationships. I liked the dialogue in volume two and the end of volume 3 the best.
January 26, 2025
‘Are you then so easily turned from your design? Did you not call this a glorious expedition? and wherefore was it glorious? Not because the way was smooth and placid as a southern sea, but because it was full of dangers and terror; because, at every new incident, your fortitude was to be called forth, and your courage exhibited; because danger and death surrounded, and these dangers you were to brave and overcome. For this was it a glorious, for this was it an honorable undertaking.’
- Mary Shelley explaining, in words I cannot, the story of living a good life.
- Mary Shelley explaining, in words I cannot, the story of living a good life.
September 9, 2025
Glad to have this classic under my belt though it was not to my taste whatsoever. Thankful to KSP for many insights into the meaning and context of the author and plot but felt an unpleasant rush (yes, one might call this suspense) to finish but also felt it was too predictable? I accept all the blame for my lack of taste and will never get rid of the book because it is the most beautiful shade of green I have ever seen.
April 24, 2021
Five star introduction by Karen Swallow Prior! The concept of the book is fascinating and parts are very interesting and deep. Other parts are very long with descriptions that seem unimportant. Shelley’s writing style is very difficult to read. Overall I am glad I read it and I am especially glad I read Prior’s version.
August 17, 2023
I highly recommend anyone who is truly interested in understanding the complexities of “Frankenstein”—and if any classic novel is misrepresented in modern culture it’s “Frankenstein”—then Karen Swallow Prior’s Guide to this masterpiece is your go-to read!
“Frankenstein” is uniquely original for several reasons. It is widely considered the first original science fiction novel (and it was written by a WOMAN!!), as we are brilliantly informed by Prior’s extensive research.
Like all other scholarly nonfiction reference books in her analytical classics series, Karen Swallow Prior’s, “Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting,” is an insightful resource on this masterwork.
A Gothic horror tale, “Frankenstein,” Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (wife of Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley) began writing her novel in 1816 in Geneva, Switzerland, while on holiday with her husband and friends, and finished it in 1818 in Bath, England, we learn in this fabulous reference.
Prior gives extensive insight into the structure of the novel; it’s characters; atmospheric locations; moral themes; as well as background on the writer; including her tragic loves and losses; as well as insights on how the novel came to be written.
Impressively, as Prior shares with us, as a female author in early Victorian times, Mary was truly an enigma because she is also attributed with using the first ‘unreliable narrator via her character Victor Frankenstein, the university student, who is also the monster’s creator.
NOTE —The novel is totally different than movie depictions that we may be familiar with because Frankenstein, i.e., Victor Frankenstein is not a doctor!
TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Karen Swallow Prior, and Publisher B&H Publishing Group (B&H Books, Holman Bibles, B&H Español, and B&H Kids) B&H Books for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
“Frankenstein” is uniquely original for several reasons. It is widely considered the first original science fiction novel (and it was written by a WOMAN!!), as we are brilliantly informed by Prior’s extensive research.
Like all other scholarly nonfiction reference books in her analytical classics series, Karen Swallow Prior’s, “Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting,” is an insightful resource on this masterwork.
A Gothic horror tale, “Frankenstein,” Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (wife of Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley) began writing her novel in 1816 in Geneva, Switzerland, while on holiday with her husband and friends, and finished it in 1818 in Bath, England, we learn in this fabulous reference.
Prior gives extensive insight into the structure of the novel; it’s characters; atmospheric locations; moral themes; as well as background on the writer; including her tragic loves and losses; as well as insights on how the novel came to be written.
Impressively, as Prior shares with us, as a female author in early Victorian times, Mary was truly an enigma because she is also attributed with using the first ‘unreliable narrator via her character Victor Frankenstein, the university student, who is also the monster’s creator.
NOTE —The novel is totally different than movie depictions that we may be familiar with because Frankenstein, i.e., Victor Frankenstein is not a doctor!
TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Karen Swallow Prior, and Publisher B&H Publishing Group (B&H Books, Holman Bibles, B&H Español, and B&H Kids) B&H Books for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
November 4, 2025
I’ve spent two months close reading this novel and I’m heartbroken to be done. Reading an author with such a self-documented history has been uniquely fascinating. I don’t think you can read this novel to its full potential without a knowledge of Mary Shelley as daughter, wife, mother, student, and friend. I feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface, even having devoured every book, podcast and secondary source on her life and work. Being a mother of a dead child at 18, Mary wrote Frankenstein surrounded by men who would never understand the toll that the creation and destruction of life takes on the human psyche. No one feels the pain of a lost child like a mother does. What happens when we eliminate women from the role of creator entirely? This is what this novel is about more than anything. I could write essays upon essays, and maybe I will. This is a book I will read and reread and probably never stop talking about.
NOTE: The KSP edition was absolutely fabulous. Annotations when helpful, but not overwhelming. A fantastic introduction and great reflection questions that kept me going back to reread certain passages and glean more from the text than I could have on my own. Wholeheartedly recommend listening to the Close Reads Podcast episodes on Frankenstein featuring KSP, they’ve been a great companion to the novel.
NOTE: The KSP edition was absolutely fabulous. Annotations when helpful, but not overwhelming. A fantastic introduction and great reflection questions that kept me going back to reread certain passages and glean more from the text than I could have on my own. Wholeheartedly recommend listening to the Close Reads Podcast episodes on Frankenstein featuring KSP, they’ve been a great companion to the novel.
October 8, 2024
I enjoyed the story, though Frankenstein’s inner monologue felt a little overdramatic at times.
A fascinating look into the views of the author on original sin and total depravity, the monster argues that he was good until people were unkind, but ultimately we see that that is not the case.
I was less impressed with KSP’s notes and commentary than I have been with some of her other reading guides, but maybe there was just less to explain.
A fascinating look into the views of the author on original sin and total depravity, the monster argues that he was good until people were unkind, but ultimately we see that that is not the case.
I was less impressed with KSP’s notes and commentary than I have been with some of her other reading guides, but maybe there was just less to explain.
November 2, 2022
I just don’t like this book. I have read it twice now. Frankenstein (the creator) is awful. And I can’t stand him. Which is the point, but it is terrible to read his self-indulgent and hypocritical thoughts for hundreds of pages. That being said, I do understand and appreciate the themes of the book. It just isn’t for me.
Also, the introduction is wonderful and helpful by Karen Swallow Prior. That should get five stars. But alas, that is only 28 pages.
We are Frankenstein.
73% Get Over Yourself Victor
Also, the introduction is wonderful and helpful by Karen Swallow Prior. That should get five stars. But alas, that is only 28 pages.
We are Frankenstein.
73% Get Over Yourself Victor
May 6, 2023
I love this book. It has, once again, helped me love my creator so much more. My students and I spent many hours discussing repentance, vengeance, and virtue. 🥲
April 18, 2021
The story was very different than I had ever imagined. I immediately needed to process it with someone! I appreciated Karen Swallow Prior's introduction, which did not include spoilers. It helped with the reading, knowing the tragic life of Mary Shelley. This book speaks to so many ills of modern society! It explores the relationship and obligation of creator to the thing created. (As a follower of Christ, compare with Romans chapter 9!) It explores "othering" of anyone different. What difference would it make to an outcast if even one person were kind to them? How do we play god in our children's lives? How do legislators play god in making unjust laws? How do police play god in killing innocent unarmed people of color? I may come back and add to the review, as I process more. It is definitely a book I'd recommend to anyone who wants to grow in empathy for their fellow man.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2021
This edition has a really great introduction by Dr Prior with some interesting reflections on how to read Frankenstein as a Christian, but my rating of the story itself remains unchanged from previous readings.
The premise of the story is great. The descriptions of places and landscapes very visceral and the action sequences are really tense. The framing of a narrative within a narrative within a narrative is also very clever, however my main issue is this - Frankenstein is a wholly unlikeable and unsympathetic character. I found myself rooting for the monster more often than not. From his initial leaving of his creation to fend for itself, to his refusal to take responsibility to his utter stupidity at not discerning the monsters final plan, I was frustrated.
The best part was the creature’s tale of how he hid and watched the family to whom he became so attached and then ultimately disappointed, although a little surprised at how quickly he developed speech and understanding.
Interesting, but that’s all.
The premise of the story is great. The descriptions of places and landscapes very visceral and the action sequences are really tense. The framing of a narrative within a narrative within a narrative is also very clever, however my main issue is this - Frankenstein is a wholly unlikeable and unsympathetic character. I found myself rooting for the monster more often than not. From his initial leaving of his creation to fend for itself, to his refusal to take responsibility to his utter stupidity at not discerning the monsters final plan, I was frustrated.
The best part was the creature’s tale of how he hid and watched the family to whom he became so attached and then ultimately disappointed, although a little surprised at how quickly he developed speech and understanding.
Interesting, but that’s all.
September 22, 2025
This classic and familiar story is greatly enhanced by Dr. Prior's "guide to reading & reflecting." From the opening introduction, to the final insights and questions regarding the dialogue between creature and creator this is a great read (even if you have read the story multiple times)!
Similar to current questions around ai and consciousnesses.
To my brilliant and gracious friend, Sarah B, who gifted this edition to me, I leave you with the following:
Mary Wollstonecraft (Godwin) Shelley, often referred to as the *'godmother of goth" was actually an optimist. Not only in her own life of personal hardship and perseverance, but in the literature she composed. The example of the "creature" becoming "humanized" by educating himself with classic literature, speaking with eloquence after being rejected as well as Victor's dying monologue to Walton's crew are examples of that.
*Claire Claremont is a more likely candidate for the title "godmother of goth" with all due respect to goth rocker, Siouxsie Sioux.
Similar to current questions around ai and consciousnesses.
To my brilliant and gracious friend, Sarah B, who gifted this edition to me, I leave you with the following:
Mary Wollstonecraft (Godwin) Shelley, often referred to as the *'godmother of goth" was actually an optimist. Not only in her own life of personal hardship and perseverance, but in the literature she composed. The example of the "creature" becoming "humanized" by educating himself with classic literature, speaking with eloquence after being rejected as well as Victor's dying monologue to Walton's crew are examples of that.
*Claire Claremont is a more likely candidate for the title "godmother of goth" with all due respect to goth rocker, Siouxsie Sioux.
December 29, 2021
Great job, again by @KSPrior for giving Mary Shelley’s history, defining words, and guiding the sections with thought-provoking questions.
Overall, it is an interesting tale with themes from the romantics and gothics. It is very different than the way “Frankenstein” is portrayed in pop culture. Victor Frankenstein is the foolish, self-important creator and his creation is never given a name, but is usually referred to as daemon. What happens when you create life just to say you could do it, but have no care for your creation?
I got a little lost in Victor’s self-indulgent stories about himself and the way what he said he felt was different than the way he acted, so I’d give the 1818 version a 3.5 by itself.
Overall, it is an interesting tale with themes from the romantics and gothics. It is very different than the way “Frankenstein” is portrayed in pop culture. Victor Frankenstein is the foolish, self-important creator and his creation is never given a name, but is usually referred to as daemon. What happens when you create life just to say you could do it, but have no care for your creation?
I got a little lost in Victor’s self-indulgent stories about himself and the way what he said he felt was different than the way he acted, so I’d give the 1818 version a 3.5 by itself.
July 18, 2021
I don’t know how I’ve always assumed to know the story of Frankenstein - from the black and white movie pictures I have in my head, to the cereal boxes, to the assumptions I’ve made. I would not have loved this book as much as I did without KSP’s guide to reading and information on the authors background.
I pitied Mary Shelley the entire time I read, and waited for some sense of resolve to her allusions to her own torture. The writing style seemed clunky and brusk at some points and I recognize that she had her own way, but it made the novel slow at certain points. All that to say, I grew more deeply grateful for a Creator so eternally good and loving.
Shelley’s commentary on the creations mastery of their creator was FASCINATING and I loved it.
May we never look over our shoulders in suspicion like the characters in this book.
I pitied Mary Shelley the entire time I read, and waited for some sense of resolve to her allusions to her own torture. The writing style seemed clunky and brusk at some points and I recognize that she had her own way, but it made the novel slow at certain points. All that to say, I grew more deeply grateful for a Creator so eternally good and loving.
Shelley’s commentary on the creations mastery of their creator was FASCINATING and I loved it.
May we never look over our shoulders in suspicion like the characters in this book.
May 4, 2021
This book is a classic for a reason. Mary Shelley engages with the ideas and beliefs of her time but masterfully weaves it into a story about the dangers of obsession, pride, curiosity, and how these things can lead us to create monsters that if not brought to the light--will destroy us.
This was my second time reading this book and I think I enjoyed it more this time around.
This was my second time reading this book and I think I enjoyed it more this time around.
November 4, 2022
Rounded up from 4.5 stars. Glad I finally read Mary Shelley’s classic work—I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. So many powerful themes are explored, and this edition by Karen Swallow Prior is fantastic. She writes a helpful background about Shelley’s life, as well as thought-provoking discussion questions.
June 28, 2024
What an enduring and marvelous story. This truly is a classic. I also appreciate Prior's light annotations, discussion questions, and outstanding introduction. B&H has produced a beautifully bound and readable edition. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the 1818 edition for the first time. I read Shelley's revised version three times, so it was interesting to see the text in original form.
November 4, 2023
This podcast series is a fantastic accompaniment!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
December 19, 2024
Wow! Part Sci-Fi, part tragedy, part thriller. Beautiful prose. A page turner at the end of each chapter. Compelling themes and imagery. I don’t read many classics but this one is a quick fav.
November 5, 2024
Don't sleep on Frankenstein. What a tragic, beautiful book.
November 5, 2023
Love this series by Karen Swallow Prior. Great reflection questions and introduction to the work and the author.
November 30, 2021
Summary: Karen Swallow Prior writes a helpful introduction and footnotes throughout the book to assist the modern reader.
One of the things that I have learned in reading old books is that culture and styles change, and modern readers often need assistance to understand the nuances of old art. It is not that we can't get something out of old art on our own, but having a guide helps increase art appreciation. I read Frankenstein first about 10 years ago. I was completely unprepared for the actual story because of how far the movie adaptations have come from the original. One of the podcasts that I enjoy, Persuasion, did a book club reading of Frankenstein using the edition of the book that has the introduction from Karen Swallow Prior. I have enjoyed Prior's writing and have followed her on Twitter for years, so I decided to go ahead and pick up the new edition and read it along with them. (The podcast ends with an episode with Karen Swallow Prior.)
Karen Swallow Prior has a series of classics, including Jane Eyre, Heart of Darkness, Sense and Sensibility, and several more books that will be released next year. I read this on kindle as I tend to do, and I picked it up when it was on sale. But I have heard that the print editions are nice cloth-bound editions that are well designed. The introduction was helpful. I had no idea that Shelley was so young, 17, when she wrote the book. Nor that she had already been pregnant and lost a child or traveled all over Europe with her scoundrel of an (eventual) husband Percy Shelley already.
The biography of Shelley does help understand the novel. Her mother died soon after childbirth, but her mother was a well known proto-feminist and her father a very well known anarchist. Mary and her step-sister left with Percy Shelley on a European tour when Mary was about 16. Percy was married but openly flouted sexual mores and Mary was pregnant when she returned. Although Mary's father had written against marriage and Percy seemed to be the embodiment of her father's anarchist ideals, her father disapproved of the relationship. Percy was the father of Mary's first child in 1815, but also the father of a son by his wife (1814) and apparently sleeping with Mary's step sister, Claire Clairmont, only 8 months younger than Mary, the daughter of her father's wife from a previous marriage. Claire also became pregnant in 1816, although the father is presumed to be Lord Byron. Percy's wife committed suicide and the Mary and Percy married in late 1816 in an attempt to become respectable enough that Percy would be given custody of his two children. He was deemed unfit and the children were placed with a local clergy family.
It was on another Europen tour earlier in 1816 with Percy and Lord Byron where they spent time in Geneva Switzerland that Mary conceived of the story and started writing Frankenstein. It was published in 1818, initially anonymously. Percy continued to be both controlling and open and about his affairs. From 1815 until 1818 all three of the couple's children died in infancy and the frequent moving and lack of care and stability of Percy likely contributed (although that era had a very high infant mortality rate.) In 1819, Mary's only surviving child was born. A fifth pregnancy ended in a miscarriage in 1822, not long before Percy died in a drowning accident. Mary never remarried. The couple had moved so frequently in part because they were always short of money and trying to stay away from creditors and to keep anyone from taking away their children because they were deemed immoral and unfit parents.
There were multiple editions of Frankenstein and Mary wrote other less well-known books and worked to edit and publish Percy's writing. Mary was broke and depended on her writing for income. Percy's father offered to adopt the surviving child, but only if Mary cut off contact, which she refused to do. Eventually, Percy's father did agree to support Mary and his grandson, but the income was inadequate and the relationship was tense. Eventually, her son, also named Percy, married and Mary lived with them until her death at the young age of 53.
All of that biographical detail is tragic, but the themes of Frankenstein are reflected in her life story, even though the story was written while she was very young. Frankenstein, who is the creator of the monster, not the monster, was engaged to his cousin Elizabeth. They had grown up together because she was an orphan. But throughout the book even though she is in the story, she is on the side of the story and Frankenstein never seems to pay any attention to her own needs. Elizabeth is killed on their wedding night by the monster in revenge for Frankenstein not creating a wife for the monster, but like much of the rest of the book, Frankenstein is primarily concerned with his own thoughts and feelings and not anyone else. I understand people that are frustrated with the book for how much Frankenstein mopes around and hides his role in the creation of the monster and the death of all of those around him. And I understand how people come to the book assuming it is going to be a different type of book. But I do think that Mary Shelley wrote a masterful story. Its structure is fascinating. And I think she keeps all of the characters from being either too perfect or solely victims or monsters.
There is clear sexism to the Romantic free love ethos of Percy and Lord Byron and others. Mary was very young and below the age of consent when they first met. They stayed together, but that was only because Mary did not leave when Percy primarily focused on other women. As much as there is brilliance in Frankenstein, the behavior and attitude of the protagonist is offputting. But the book is still worth reading.
Frankenstein: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting Purchase Links: Hardcover, Kindle Edition
February 2, 2025
What do you think of when you hear the word “Frankenstein?” For many, that name conjures up an ugly monster pieced together from the flesh of others. A quick Internet search of images associated with that name bring up iconic pictures that are a part of our popular culture. Many movies have been made of the book Frankenstein as well as versions and spin-offs of the Gothic novel. In truth, Victor Frankenstein is the name of the scientist who created the monster who was never named in the book, but may be referred to as “The Creature.”
Clearly a classic, Frankenstein, was the creation of 18 year old Mary Shelley as a result of a dreary day’s writing contest with a small group of men, that included her husband the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. The little group fought to overcome the ennui of the season. Mary Shelley won and her story was first published anonymously.
The structure of the story is initially a little confusing, but it becomes clearer as the tale progresses. Captain Robert Walton’s narrative frames the story with his recounting, as his ship headed to the North Pole, of the sighting of an unknown creature and then the rescue of a man who was pursuing the creature. Much of the book is epistolary as Walton shares the story of Victor Frankenstein’s life with his sister in England.
The reader is also given the Creature’s viewpoint. At eight feet tall and very different looking, he is viewed as a threat. At times the reader might feel some sympathy for him as he wants love and acceptance, but he also reveals a murderous side. When he realizes he will never be integrated into human society, he approaches Victor with the idea of creating a woman to be his wife. This request ignites another ethical dilemma for Victor who has already ignored his moral obligations when he gave life to the Creature and then abandoned him. His bad decisions turn his life and that of his loved ones into tragedies.
The editor of this volume, Karen Swallow Prior, is a Professor of English and Christianity and Culture. She states that the major themes of Frankenstein are “creation, creator, guilt, ambition, reason vs. emotion, nature vs. nurture, friendship, sexuality.” She points out that Shelley does not write from a biblical point of view, but that these themes are timeless. This is obviously a complicated book and important in terms of its effects on our culture. The editor Prior attempts to make it more accessible in her introduction and in the background she presents about the time in which it was written. Not an easy read, Frankenstein offers a lot of food for thought. The reader will probably argue with the characters over their motivations and actions and will be hard pressed to find a likable character among them. Victor Frankenstein, in particular, proves over and over again that he is self-centered. His own happiness and a fulfilled ego are so important to him that his emotions swing wildly and greatly affect his health while he disregards how his actions hurt others.
Clearly a classic, Frankenstein, was the creation of 18 year old Mary Shelley as a result of a dreary day’s writing contest with a small group of men, that included her husband the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. The little group fought to overcome the ennui of the season. Mary Shelley won and her story was first published anonymously.
The structure of the story is initially a little confusing, but it becomes clearer as the tale progresses. Captain Robert Walton’s narrative frames the story with his recounting, as his ship headed to the North Pole, of the sighting of an unknown creature and then the rescue of a man who was pursuing the creature. Much of the book is epistolary as Walton shares the story of Victor Frankenstein’s life with his sister in England.
The reader is also given the Creature’s viewpoint. At eight feet tall and very different looking, he is viewed as a threat. At times the reader might feel some sympathy for him as he wants love and acceptance, but he also reveals a murderous side. When he realizes he will never be integrated into human society, he approaches Victor with the idea of creating a woman to be his wife. This request ignites another ethical dilemma for Victor who has already ignored his moral obligations when he gave life to the Creature and then abandoned him. His bad decisions turn his life and that of his loved ones into tragedies.
The editor of this volume, Karen Swallow Prior, is a Professor of English and Christianity and Culture. She states that the major themes of Frankenstein are “creation, creator, guilt, ambition, reason vs. emotion, nature vs. nurture, friendship, sexuality.” She points out that Shelley does not write from a biblical point of view, but that these themes are timeless. This is obviously a complicated book and important in terms of its effects on our culture. The editor Prior attempts to make it more accessible in her introduction and in the background she presents about the time in which it was written. Not an easy read, Frankenstein offers a lot of food for thought. The reader will probably argue with the characters over their motivations and actions and will be hard pressed to find a likable character among them. Victor Frankenstein, in particular, proves over and over again that he is self-centered. His own happiness and a fulfilled ego are so important to him that his emotions swing wildly and greatly affect his health while he disregards how his actions hurt others.
July 11, 2022
Frankenstein: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
[If I were just rating Karen Swallow Prior's edition, with her reading guide and reflection questions, I'd give it 5 stars.]
The decision of which book to read first in the new year is one I weigh carefully. For 2021, listening to a Close Reads podcast series with Karen Swallow Prior, in preparation for her new introduction and annotation of the 1818 edition, decided me: I would start the year with Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein." I’d make it my beach read.
I had read Frankenstein long ago, before I had children. Back then I was impressed that Shelly wrote a story, not just a monster. But this time I was in despair even before reaching Victor. How could I read this story generously when all I felt was revulsion?
In the last twenty-five years I’ve had children and helped them pack and move away. I’ve buried both parents. I’ve spent many sleepless nights in worry over those I love. Where is the tenderness in this book, outside of the longing in the monster’s heart? A longing that is not fulfilled.
Then I read a post about Twelfth Night, in which Callie Feyen asked us to sit with stories that challenge us. So I plowed on through Frankenstein, as Walton plows on toward the North Pole, listening to Victor’s tale.
I found myself walking in sympathy alongside Victor’s father, Alphonse. The man is certainly not blameless, but I don’t blame him for Victor’s descent. I don’t hold the father responsible for the monster. Many things conspired to create him.
This month Tania Runyan has encouraged us to “Read a Classic, Write a Poem,” first for The Great Gatsby and then for To Kill A Mockingbird. I’ve often written poems when a book moves or inspires me (I have dozens on Kristin Lavransdatter), but I have not written a poem for a novel I am wrestling with — until now.
I decided to write a poem for Alphonse. Because toward him I feel a generosity I did not feel before I became a parent. If I read Frankenstein again, twenty-five years from now, my generosity may find another path.
When Springs of Existence Suddenly Give Way
“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
—Victor Frankenstein, chapter 23, Frankenstein
Like the change in you, my son—
my flesh, my blood,
the one I guided with a silken cord—
when you became a monster.
What is there to say when you return
emaciated with care?
What is there to do but bail you out
again?
I thought—truly, earnestly thought—
all you needed was a wedding. She—
the delight of my eyes—she
could be that for you. True, she
is your sister, sorta.
That doesn’t mean she wouldn’t do you good.
When a parent’s mind cannot absorb
blow after blow after yet another blow
then the body gives way.
Memories strangle as surely as any fiend.
– Megan Willome
[If I were just rating Karen Swallow Prior's edition, with her reading guide and reflection questions, I'd give it 5 stars.]
The decision of which book to read first in the new year is one I weigh carefully. For 2021, listening to a Close Reads podcast series with Karen Swallow Prior, in preparation for her new introduction and annotation of the 1818 edition, decided me: I would start the year with Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein." I’d make it my beach read.
I had read Frankenstein long ago, before I had children. Back then I was impressed that Shelly wrote a story, not just a monster. But this time I was in despair even before reaching Victor. How could I read this story generously when all I felt was revulsion?
In the last twenty-five years I’ve had children and helped them pack and move away. I’ve buried both parents. I’ve spent many sleepless nights in worry over those I love. Where is the tenderness in this book, outside of the longing in the monster’s heart? A longing that is not fulfilled.
Then I read a post about Twelfth Night, in which Callie Feyen asked us to sit with stories that challenge us. So I plowed on through Frankenstein, as Walton plows on toward the North Pole, listening to Victor’s tale.
I found myself walking in sympathy alongside Victor’s father, Alphonse. The man is certainly not blameless, but I don’t blame him for Victor’s descent. I don’t hold the father responsible for the monster. Many things conspired to create him.
This month Tania Runyan has encouraged us to “Read a Classic, Write a Poem,” first for The Great Gatsby and then for To Kill A Mockingbird. I’ve often written poems when a book moves or inspires me (I have dozens on Kristin Lavransdatter), but I have not written a poem for a novel I am wrestling with — until now.
I decided to write a poem for Alphonse. Because toward him I feel a generosity I did not feel before I became a parent. If I read Frankenstein again, twenty-five years from now, my generosity may find another path.
When Springs of Existence Suddenly Give Way
“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
—Victor Frankenstein, chapter 23, Frankenstein
Like the change in you, my son—
my flesh, my blood,
the one I guided with a silken cord—
when you became a monster.
What is there to say when you return
emaciated with care?
What is there to do but bail you out
again?
I thought—truly, earnestly thought—
all you needed was a wedding. She—
the delight of my eyes—she
could be that for you. True, she
is your sister, sorta.
That doesn’t mean she wouldn’t do you good.
When a parent’s mind cannot absorb
blow after blow after yet another blow
then the body gives way.
Memories strangle as surely as any fiend.
– Megan Willome
October 24, 2023
Vibes: CREEPY
Media: I listened to the audio read by Dan Steven’s (great performance) while reading along with this version
Emoji: 🧟♂️
Experience:
5 stars for KSP’s contribution. Also I loved listening to this with the Good Reads podcast and I don’t think I would’ve finished it without it. I enjoyed her contribution so much that I think her books are the only ones I plan getting when approaching classic lit.
I didn’t enjoy reading this book - AT ALL- but I’m glad I read it. It was seasonally great (next week is Halloween), but I doubt I’ll ever reread. I loathed basically all the characters except the monster, which is kind of the point.
If you’ve ever watched the show Bad Sisters, Victor Frankenstein is John Paul. He’s one of the most diabolical characters I’ve read about in a long time. He a spineless wretch and I guess that’s the point.
I loved thinking through the ideas of the impact of a evil “creator” and I’m so glad I read Paradise Lost prior to this. From a spiritual POV, I found this had a number of really good critiques of some errors Calvinist theology can fall into. In some realms of that world that I’ve experienced the god they depict is far closer to Victor then many would like to admit. For example the concept that humanity is a wretch in the eyes of a holy god and only escapes the rejection and destruction by their creators by a sacrifice that appeases a wrathful god. If that is your only view of God and the the main point you harp/preach on you end up with a Victor god rather then a Christ like God. Additionally in many of these relents they paint humanity in their full depravity as monsters, and rather then creating humility if cultivated a blindness to their inherent worthiness and goodness imbued to them by a God that loves them. Not all calvinists would articulate their faith as so one sided, however in the + 15 years of sermons I’ve sat under the opposite appears true.
I left this book reminded me to be careful of the stories we believe and the sacrifices we make to be great at the expense of being good. I also ended treasuring the story of my faith not for it being “right” but rather because of it’s beauty.
Link to Podcast: https://spotify.link/4QH0jKwH9Db
Media: I listened to the audio read by Dan Steven’s (great performance) while reading along with this version
Emoji: 🧟♂️
Experience:
5 stars for KSP’s contribution. Also I loved listening to this with the Good Reads podcast and I don’t think I would’ve finished it without it. I enjoyed her contribution so much that I think her books are the only ones I plan getting when approaching classic lit.
I didn’t enjoy reading this book - AT ALL- but I’m glad I read it. It was seasonally great (next week is Halloween), but I doubt I’ll ever reread. I loathed basically all the characters except the monster, which is kind of the point.
If you’ve ever watched the show Bad Sisters, Victor Frankenstein is John Paul. He’s one of the most diabolical characters I’ve read about in a long time. He a spineless wretch and I guess that’s the point.
I loved thinking through the ideas of the impact of a evil “creator” and I’m so glad I read Paradise Lost prior to this. From a spiritual POV, I found this had a number of really good critiques of some errors Calvinist theology can fall into. In some realms of that world that I’ve experienced the god they depict is far closer to Victor then many would like to admit. For example the concept that humanity is a wretch in the eyes of a holy god and only escapes the rejection and destruction by their creators by a sacrifice that appeases a wrathful god. If that is your only view of God and the the main point you harp/preach on you end up with a Victor god rather then a Christ like God. Additionally in many of these relents they paint humanity in their full depravity as monsters, and rather then creating humility if cultivated a blindness to their inherent worthiness and goodness imbued to them by a God that loves them. Not all calvinists would articulate their faith as so one sided, however in the + 15 years of sermons I’ve sat under the opposite appears true.
I left this book reminded me to be careful of the stories we believe and the sacrifices we make to be great at the expense of being good. I also ended treasuring the story of my faith not for it being “right” but rather because of it’s beauty.
Link to Podcast: https://spotify.link/4QH0jKwH9Db
January 13, 2025
As a lover of reading, there’s something so refreshing about engaging with a classic. I use the word “engaging” intentionally, because the best literature cannot be properly enjoyed passively; it requires attention, diligence, and even wrestling. That’s why I was glad to be introduced to Frankenstein by Karen Swallow Prior and her guide to reading and reflecting. Think of it as a personal, self-paced English literature course, with useful information about the author, attention called to themes, and periodic reflection questions. I look forward to reading more in this series.
But as for Frankenstein: I see why it’s earned its reputation. Shelley’s story is solid speculative fiction with a philosophical prose, which I enjoyed. While most people are familiar with with the popular icon of the monster called Frankenstein, fewer know the story from which he originated: a cautionary tale against ambition; a reflection on the joys of true companionship and the misery of loneliness; and an illustration of the destructive nature of harboring secrets and ruminating on vengeance. It presents rather distressing ethical dilemmas, calls into question how far personal responsibility extends, and demonstrates how far-reaching the consequences of a single action can prove to be. The storytelling style is interesting, and Frankenstein and his monster are both complex and unreliable characters; it’s fascinating to consider the dynamic between them (and who primarily affects whom). This is a book that makes you think, which is what the best stories do.
But as for Frankenstein: I see why it’s earned its reputation. Shelley’s story is solid speculative fiction with a philosophical prose, which I enjoyed. While most people are familiar with with the popular icon of the monster called Frankenstein, fewer know the story from which he originated: a cautionary tale against ambition; a reflection on the joys of true companionship and the misery of loneliness; and an illustration of the destructive nature of harboring secrets and ruminating on vengeance. It presents rather distressing ethical dilemmas, calls into question how far personal responsibility extends, and demonstrates how far-reaching the consequences of a single action can prove to be. The storytelling style is interesting, and Frankenstein and his monster are both complex and unreliable characters; it’s fascinating to consider the dynamic between them (and who primarily affects whom). This is a book that makes you think, which is what the best stories do.
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